Okay, my new to me FD arrived last week. Inside it smells exactly like my previous 94, which is a lot more than most cars smell inside. Sort of a strong leather-like smell. Is that the seats? Anyone else find it objectionable? I've got way more important things to fix (like the EGR valve) so I decided to focus on this instead :-)

 

My '93 R1 (with synthetic suede seats) still has a strong new car smell all these years later. I have just learned to enjoy it... it is a stronger smell than most cars this old though.

 

My BB still have the new car smell, but not as strong as the lower mileage R1. Not sure if it is the seats since both my car has the same smell and they have different seats, I wonder if it is related to the wool insulation stuff they lay down everywhere.

 

My 94 base still has a new car smell too. Whatever it is, it's a lot better than the occasional wiff of antifreeze, oil and hot metal that comes in through the heater vent.

 

I dunno bout "new car" smell, but there is a distinct smell to RX7s from the plastics, oil, and gas.

 

That is something I had always wondered about. I have been in about 10 different third gens and eight of them had a similar "new car smell" The other two smelled like cigarettes and weed. Approximate mileage was between 48k and 175k.

I've come to enjoy it. Thought it was odd at first how they all smelled the same despite coming from different parts of the country with different owners.

 

All FD's Ive been in also have the same weird smell. I just assumed it was Rotary perspiration.

 

Thanks everyone. I'll try to get used to it. :-)

 

Some things go full circle, my car smells like my grandpa’s shop.

 

It's the carpet. All FD's small the same until you get a late model, they changed the carpet for the S8 as they needed to save more weight to counter the added weight from the extra crash protection. The S8 doesn't have the "FD smell".
All earlier models I've seen (smelt?) have that same distinctive smell.

 

It could be the seats or carpet. When I had my seats reupholstered and carpet changed (to aftermarket) at the same time, that old "90's smell" is no longer there...

 

My FD smells the exact same as both my old FCs, and even my Cosmo. I've been in a few others and only 1 of them doesn't have the same smell (but that FD is a bit different than the typical one haha).

Interesting that the correlation seems to be the carpet.

 

Are you pleased with the aftermarket carpet?

 

Yes, you can refer to this thread:
https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-gen-gene...-back-1142695/